Psalm 148 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered

A response and reply to the notes on Psalm 148 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).

King James Version

SAB comment

My comment


1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.

2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.

3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.

4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

5 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.

6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.

7 Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:

Even the dragons praise the Lord.
All the other things the psalmist mentions here such as the sun and the stars, beasts and cattle are real. There is no reason to introduce a mythical creature here, so we are left to conclude the psalmist mentions a real creature. A creature known to him and his audience. The word dinosaur didn't exist at the time of the translators of the King James (the word was invented by the creationist Dr Richard Owen in the early 1800s), but we probably would use the dinosaur instead of dragon at this place.

8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word:

9 Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:

10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:

11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:

12 Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:

13 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.